BROADWAY BUZZ and TONY NOMINEES

Today is when the excitement heightens for every theater nerd out there. It’s the day when the nominations are announced for the annual TONY AWARDS.

The 2016 Tony Awards marks the 70th annual such event. The award show will be aired 8 p.m. Sunday, June 12 on CBS.

“Hamilton” received a record-breaking 16 Tony Award nominations, followed by 10 nominations for “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed.” Before that, both “The Producers” and “Billy Elliot” held the record at 15 nominations. “The Producers” went on to break another record and win 12 awards, which set Broadway all agog. We’ll see if “Hamilton” eclipses that one.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton,” photo by Joan Marcus.

Straight plays you have to put on your short list because, like a couple of their brethren, they’re going to close soon include:

Jeff Daniels and Michelle Williams in “Blackbird” at the Belasco Theatre. Photo by Brigitte Lacombe

Arthur Miller (1915 – 2005) for Best Revival of a Play (“The Crucible” and “A View from the Bridge”).Jan Versweyveld has received two nominations for his lighting design for “The Crucible” and “A View from the Bridge, and a nomination for his scenic design of “A View from the Bridge.”
Devotees of television’s “Downton Abbey” will be interested to see that its creator, Julian Fellowes, has been nominated for for best book of a musical for his “School of Rock — the Musical.” (BTW he also wrote the book for the musical “Mary Poppins.”)Jessie Mueller received a nomination as best actress in a leading musical role for her work in “Waitress” — that is “of note” because she won last year for her work in “Beautiful — The Carole King Musical,” and her sister Abby Mueller opens in the “Beautiful” tour tonight at Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando.

So here are the nominees for your to-do list when you head to New York City. (BTW, while you’re in NYC, you might want to take a 45 minute trip to Millburn, New Jersey to visit the Paper Mill Playhouse, recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, which was recommended for the award by the American Theatre Critics Association.)

Best Play
Eclipsed
The Father
The Humans
King Charles III

Best Musical
Bright Star
Hamilton
School of Rock—The Musical
Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Waitress

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Gabriel Byrne, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Jeff Daniels, Blackbird
Frank Langella, The Father
Tim Pigott-Smith, King Charles III
Mark Strong, Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Laurie Metcalf, Misery
Lupita Nyong’o, Eclipsed
Sophie Okonedo, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
Michelle Williams, Blackbird

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Alex Brightman, School of Rock—The Musical
Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof
Zachary Levi, She Loves Me
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Leslie Odom, Jr., Hamilton

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Laura Benanti, She Loves Me
Carmen Cusack, Bright Star
Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple
Jessie Mueller, Waitress
Phillipa Soo, Hamilton
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Reed Birney, The Humans
Bill Camp, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
David Furr, Noises Off
Richard Goulding, King Charles III
Michael Shannon, Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Pascale Armand, Eclipsed
Megan Hilty, Noises Off
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans
Andrea Martin, Noises Off
Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Brandon Victor Dixon, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Christopher Jackson, Hamilton
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me
Jennifer Simard, Disaster!
Adrienne Warren, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Beowulf Boritt, Thérèse Raquin
Christopher Oram, Hughie
Jan Versweyveld, Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge
David Zinn, The Humans

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Es Devlin & Finn Ross, American Psycho
David Korins, Hamilton
Santo Loquasto, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
David Rockwell, She Loves Me

Best Costume Design of a Play
Jane Greenwood, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Michael Krass, Noises Off
Clint Ramos, Eclipsed
Tom Scutt, King Charles III

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Tuck Everlasting
Jeff Mahshie, She Loves Me
Ann Roth, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Paul Tazewell, Hamilton

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Natasha Katz, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Justin Townsend, The Humans
Jan Versweyveld, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
Jan Versweyveld, Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Howell Binkley, Hamilton
Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Ben Stanton, Spring Awakening
Justin Townsend, American Psycho

Best Direction of a Play
Rupert Goold, King Charles III
Jonathan Kent, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Joe Mantello, The Humans
Liesl Tommy, Eclipsed
Ivo Van Hove, Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge

Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, Spring Awakening
John Doyle, The Color Purple
Scott Ellis, She Loves Me
Thomas Kail, Hamilton
George C. Wolfe, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton
Savion Glover, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Hofesh Shechter, Fiddler on the Roof
Randy Skinner, Dames at Sea
Sergio Trujillo, On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan

Best Orchestrations
August Eriksmoen, Bright Star
Larry Hochman, She Loves Me
Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton
Daryl Waters, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Welcome

Brevard Culture is the place to find the latest news and reviews of the arts in and around Brevard County, Orlando and Vero Beach Florida. We also highlight cultural news of interest outside the area. Brevard Culture editor, Pam Harbaugh, is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association and served as arts writer/theater critic for more than 25 years at Florida Today newspaper.